Holiday Greetings - And More Organ Visits!

I say Holiday because I refer to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year! I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I would like to thank all of you who are reading my writing and looking at my photos. I have received many nice messages through the contact form, and I assure you, I do read all of them, but it sometimes takes me a little while to respond. I assure you, I will be responding to your messages soon. Thank you for your kind words, input, and support!

I recently had the opportunity to visit a couple of wonderful little organs. One in American Fork, UT (thanks to my good friend Bryce for getting me in!) and another in Kaysville, UT, where a friend of mine was speaking for his missionary farewell. (For those not familiar with this term, young single LDS adults often serve a mission for 18 months or two years. It is tradition that before leaving to his or her assigned area, the missionary will deliver a speech in the main church meeting the Sunday before. This is the "missionary farewell.")

Let's start with the organ in American Fork. This organ was built by the Schantz Organ Company in 1993. This organ is a slightly modified version of the same model of organ that is installed in the Oak Hills Stake Center and the Grove Creek Stake Center, respectively, but with a different facade design, and in an older building. Here's a photo of the facade:

In playing and listening, Bryce and I determined that most of the facade belongs to the bottom octave of the 8' Principal, but we didn't take the time to figure out to which stop the remaining pipes belong, if any. This is probably my favorite design of the three Schantz organs I've seen and played. It's just so majestic, as you can see in the wider view in this selfie:

The thing that makes this organ different from the other two is that this one has a stop that is prepared for. The stop is not actually installed, but the stop tab, wiring, and possibly the wind chest are in place to enable easy installation of the stop, in this case, a 16' Contre Trompette. Knowing how much I love Schantz organs and especially their consoles (see the two posts linked above if you want me to wax lyrical about it), and I was thrilled to find that we have another beautiful instrument of this type in Utah Valley. This one is also unique because it's in an older building. The LDS Church uses standardized floor plans for its buildings, and these plans have changed over time. This particular plan was used in the 1960s-1970s, and I have had great luck finding beautiful organs in buildings of this plan, including the Cascade 1st and 2nd Wards, the Provo Stake, and even the famed Provo Central Stake.

I'll finish with a photo of this nice carving of an oak leaf on the side of the console:

The organ is very well-voiced and well cared-for, it is clear the stake loves it. As far as I understand, Dr. Parley Belnap, one of the more prolific organists in the LDS church and a former BYU organ professor, was very involved in the installation of this organ. I imagine he was quite satisfied with it. It is a pleasure to play, and fills the room very well. 

Next is the organ of the Kaysville Utah East Stake. It's not marked with a builder, but I can tell by the design of the pedals (and through the Organ Historical Society's database) that is was made by the Reuter company. I only got to play it for a few minutes after the sacrament meeting, but I quite like the facade on it:

The building is of a very unique design, and confusing if you've never been there before. The back of the chapel has a solid wall, rather than the more common curtain in LDS chapels, even though the gymnasium is adjacent to the chapel. The facade is also interesting because the 4' Koppel Flute is included in the facade on the right side. 

The interesting thing is that my friend who I went to visit plays a little, and has been up inside this organ many times. He even said he tunes some of the pipes upon occasion, when the organ needs it. The trompette, apparently, goes out of tune quite often, which does not surprise me in the least. The organ chamber is accessed through a door visible near the right of the photo. The tuner must climb beneath the rostrum, after which he will find himself inside the steeple of the building, which has a ladder inside it leading up to the chamber. I imagine it is a bit of a hassle to tune, and that's probably part of why this building plan doesn't exist anywhere else (at least to my knowledge).

Well, that's it for now. I start classes again at BYU on Monday, so I imagine I probably won't be posting too much for a while. I had the chance a couple of months ago to play for a stake conference and a special fireside with Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder L. Whitney Clayton as speakers, and these were both played in large public spaces in Provo, where conferences are often held. I plan on posting some tips to play effectively in these locations, though both utilize digital organs.

Happy New Year, and have a wonderful day!

LDS American Fork East Stake:

Built By: Schantz Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1993

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 9

Location: 825 E 500 N, American Fork, UT

Stoplist - American Fork East Stake

LDS Kaysville Utah East Stake:*

Built By: Reuter Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 950

Year: 1951

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 15

Location: 201 South 600 East Kaysville, UT

*OHS lists two organs in Kaysville. Both are Reuter organs, and both are in LDS chapels. I have looked at the names of the LDS wards for the building that specifies them, and that building appears to be newer (1970s) which coincides with one of the OHS entries. The building I visited felt older, and the other OHS organ was built in the 1950s, which is before LDS church floor plans were widely standardized, so that leads me to believe that this is the 15-rank organ, not the 11-rank instrument. It makes sense with the instrument specification. (Contact me if interested) I did not have the chance to check if ranks were unified, I simply played the instrument and enjoyed it.

A Late Update: The Importance of Tuning and Maintenance

Hey Everyone! I've been really busy with my classes in the Information Systems program at BYU, so I haven't been able to post since I started school. I've attended a couple of different church music workshops, and had the chance to play for my Stake Conference a couple of weeks ago, which was exciting and successful!

This post will be about a couple of organs I played several months ago. The first one is in an LDS chapel in Salt Lake City. I was at this chapel for a mission reunion. I only got to play this instrument for a few minutes after the reunion was over. I was one of the last people to leave. It was a typical small Wicks, with a decent Trompette and a nice Erzahler, sadly without a corresponding celeste.

Here's a photo of that instrument:

It looks quite a bit larger than it actually is. The wings on the two sides contain no pipes, but rather the pipework is all contained within the visible facade and the swell box just behind the center portion of the instrument. 

I enjoyed playing this organ, but it wasn't much to write home about. I'm including it here to document it, and to make a point later in the post.

On to the next organ, at the Provo 5th and 8th Wards Chapel. I have friends who attend church in this building, and they alerted me to the presence of this instrument. Unfortunately, at the time I visited, the phone I was using to take the pictures did not respond at all well to the lighting in the building, and the contents of the photos are barely visible. Here's a link to some good photos of the building and chapel taken by another blogger.

What I can tell you is that no pipework is visible. Not everything is enclosed, but it is behind a screen at the front of the room. You can see this in the photos on the other blog.

This instrument had no maker's mark or opus number anywhere on the console, but several characteristics lead me to believe it is a Reuter organ. These are: 1) The design of the console and 2) the specification of the instrument. The Springville 1st and 3rd Wards building has a Reuter that has a console with the same carvings as this one, and the stoplist is very similar (though the facade is much more impressive on the Springville instrument).

The unfortunate thing about both the Salt Lake City organ and the Provo 5th and 8th Wards Organ is that when I went to play them, I wasn't able to get an accurate impression of either instrument because both were severely out of tune at the time I visited. On the Salt Lake instrument, the principal rank is unified, and if you play higher than the C above middle C or attempt to use the 2' principal, it sounded like a giant calliope, except not musical at all. On the Provo instrument, most of the individual stops sounded fine, but they were out of tune in relation to each other, causing a celeste-like sound, except in an exaggerated and unpleasant manner, and with nearly every stop. 

The point is, if you or your congregation has or decides to obtain a pipe organ, PLEASE take good care of it! I know that maintenance is expensive, but it is worth the trouble! A well-maintained pipe organ can bless the lives of people for generations, but if you let it dwindle into disrepair, it will become a nuisance, and in many cases, you will lose a treasure of an instrument.

Neither of these organs had anything broken on them, but an organ being out of tune significantly limits its usability. Here are some tips on keeping your organ in tune:

• ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS leave the swell box(es) open when you shut the organ off!!! This causes the organ to maintain constant tuning between divisions that are enclosed(such as the Swell) and divisions that are unenclosed (such as the Great), and allows them to be used together, even if the organ as a whole is no longer tuned to A-440. This is so easy, yet so many people forget it! Many modern organs default to opening the swell shades automatically upon turning off the instrument, but you should open the shades just to be safe.
• Try to maintain a consistent temperature in the room year-round. This is easy in a home, but can be more difficult in a church building. Many LDS buildings have thermostats that shut off automatically after three hours. Since this will not maintain a constant temperature in the building always, try and make sure that the room is the same temperature (or close to it) when the organ will be played. Come in 30-60 minutes early to start the thermostat before the meetings start. You can even use this time to practice! That way as the pipework detunes, it will be tuned back to its proper pitch when at the correct temperature, at least for the duration of the meeting.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and that you keep enjoying all the Bach, Franck and Widor you can! 

Here are your organ details:

LDS Wards:

Built By: Wicks Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1965

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 7

Location: 3051 S 2900 E Salt Lake City, UT

LDS Provo 5th and 8th  Wards:

Built By: Reuter Organ Company?

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: Unknown

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 6-7 (approx.)

Location: 502 E 200 N Provo, UT

Provo 5th and 8th Wards Stoplist

Pipe Organs of the Rich and Famous: LDS Edition

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I took an intense class for Spring term, and I just finished my application to the Information Systems Program at BYU. I've been pretty busy studying, but I've also been busy composing (recordings to come soon!) and discovering new pieces.

I've played a few different organs over the past few months, and I'm grouping them into a couple of different posts. This one will outline a couple of organs I really, really enjoyed playing. A later post will outline a couple more I enjoyed, but that could have used a good tuning.

I call this post "Pipe Organs of the Rich and Famous: LDS Edition" because the two organs I will discuss were influenced in their design and building by two of the most famous LDS organists to live in the past few decades.

The first of these is a tracker action pipe organ built by Kenneth Jones in BYU's Harris Fine Arts Center. This organ is not in a large performance space, but rather in a professor's office. The office in question used to belong to the late Douglas Bush, a world famous LDS organist and arranger who also had a hand in the construction of the Provo Central Stake's Organ. The current occupant of this office is Brian Mathias, a BYU organ professor.

Here is a photo of the entire organ:

As you can see, the console is attached at one end (right edge of the picture) and the facade speaks out into a small space. You can see the corner of the ornate rug and the back of a harpsichord near the left of the photo. Basically, I want an office like this. 

The fantastic thing about this organ is that it's not in a big huge space, and it wasn't designed for one. While enjoying this organ, I pulled the Trumpet on the well and it was a trumpet sound, but just right for the room size. A friend and I took turns and both of us played full organ on this instrument with the other standing in front of the facade. The noise was loud and glorious, but not overwhelming in such a small space as one would expect a pipe organ to be.

Here's the console:

This organ has a nice tracker action, and some great tone colors as well. The salicional with celeste is rich, warm, and absolutely beautiful. The oboe is a fantastic sound, and the cornet is very nice as well. The stop knobs feel like they have mechanical action, but there is a combination action with motors that operate the knobs, even though they are large and ornate, requiring a long draw to pull them out.

Here's a closer photo of the center of the facade. Notice the beehive in the carving.

I forgot to get a selfie with this one, probably because I was so excited to play it. I knew about this organ, but I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to play in this office. I stayed after our Utah Valley AGO Super Saturday to play it. We had just finished a class in the room and I jumped at the chance to play the instrument, and boy am I glad I did!

On to the next organ! This next organ was orginally built in the 1970s by the Wicks Organ Company, and renovated last year by R. M. Ballantyne Pipe Organs under the direction of James Kasen, another famous LDS organ composer. He has written arrangements of many popular LDS hymns, and every one I have heard is absolutely beautiful!

(Edit: When I first played this organ, it was not finished. I played it later in September when it was finished and several changes had been made. The stoplist has been updated.)

Here's a photo of the organ facade. This organ is also located in Provo, UT.

I knew this organ would be nice, but when I first saw it, Wow! This is one of the better open-pipe facades I have seen. It is symmetrical and interesting, and I rather like it! (There is now a visible Gemshorn rank that changes the look slightly, but the visual change is subtle.)

This organ has two manuals and Wicks' Direct Electric Action. I would guess that by number of stops, this is one of the larger organs I have found in an LDS church building, though I have played others with more ranks. The way it is configured, the organ makes very good use of  its 15 1/2 ranks, and it is versatile, making it easy to create effective and interesting registrations.

Here's a wider view of the space:

The organ projects very well into the space. Tone is clear, crisp, and powerful. Even when all the curtains are open to the overflow, I imagine that this instrument is very well-suited to congregational accompaniment.

Here's the console:

On the left side, some of the stop knobs are sort of hidden behind the key cheeks, but they can still be pulled out fully, or operated via the combination action. This organ is blessed with three different types of flutes, oboe and trumpet ranks available at 8' and 4' pitches, and a beautiful Gemshorn that extends all the way down to 16'.

This organ was fun to play. It feels more buttoned down than most Wicks instruments of the era, and it is absolutely beautiful. (Note: a 2-rank String stop was added on the Great, and it's a wonderful addition. There are also separate strings on the Swell now.)

Overall, I had a lot of fun playing these instruments. Specs and stoplist links are below. Now that I have more free time, expect a few more posts about new organs and about new pieces of music that I have discovered.

Have a great day!

BYU Teaching Studio:

Built By: Kenneth Jones & Associates

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1999

Manuals: 3

Ranks: 22

Location: E-208 HFAC, BYU, Provo, UT

HFAC E-208 Stoplist

LDS Provo Stake:

Built By: Wicks Organ Company, R. M. Ballantyne Pipe Organs

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1974, 2015

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 15.5 (originally 12)

Location: 1315 East 900 South, Provo, UT

Provo Stake Stoplist

Pleasant Grove - A Nice Little Schantz

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while again. I'm now done with school for the summer (except for one class) so I'm out and about looking for organs again! It's a wonderful feeling!
I've only been out once or twice so far, but I have some photos from last year that I still need to post.

The organ in question is the 9-rank Schantz in the LDS Grove Creek Stake Center in Pleasant Grove, UT. It's the same model as the Schantz in the Oak Hills Stake Center in Provo, which I played even longer ago. The Pleasant Grove organ is two years newer, and playing it gave me a different perspective on the instrument, for a couple of reasons: 1. The PG organ is in better condition than the Provo one, and 2. I had several months more experience by the time I played the second one, so I was able to notice more details that I hadn't before.

The facade is a little different from the Oak Hills organ. The PG organ looks like this:

It's a little more unique than the Provo organ, though the Provo organ is more striking to my eye. I do, however, love the wood in this building, and on the organ. It's lovely to see dark, rich wood like this, and I think it should be used more often.

Here's a wider shot, where you can better see the wood paneling in the room and the organ facade:

And here's the console:

I think every organ should be this comfortable to play. The backrest on the bench is a common Schantz feature, and it's great, especially for long meetings when you have to sit on the bench for an hour or more. Schantz also has a way of making their instruments to comfortable to play. The keys always feel very solid and precise, and at just the right height, and nothing ever seems too far away. On smaller organs like this, they use the large rocker tabs you can see, which are extremely easy to change without removing your entire hand from the keyboard. If I were to make my dream organ, the console would probably be a Schantz.

In addition to being a pleasure to play, this organ is also a pleasure to listen to. It has some great and useful sounds, and is versatile for such a small organ. My personal favorite is the replacement of the 2' principal in the Great principal chorus with a 2' Gemshorn. It adds just the right touch of softness and stringiness to the chorus and is absolutely beautiful. The swell gemshorn celeste is also nice, as is the mixture. Everything on this organ seems to be manufactured to a very high standard of quality, and all the stops produce a sweet, beautiful tone.

Overall, I would be extremely pleased to play this instrument, be it for a recital, for church, or just for fun. I have been told that even though the sound is not overwhelming in the chapel, it is robust enough to support congregational singing, even when all the overflows are opened.

And I can't forget the selfie!

I hope you enjoyed reading about this organ as much as I enjoyed playing it. I have some newer photos that will be posted soon, but these ones have been itching to get onto the blog for months now. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

LDS Grove Creek Stake Center:

Built By: Schantz Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1994

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 9

Location: 1176 N 730 E Pleasant Grove, UT

Grove Creek Stake - Stoplist

Springville - A Second Trip

About a month ago, I was in Springville again to see a friend, but this time I came more prepared. I had more information about some of the organs in Springville, and this one was just a few blocks from my friend's home. I had been waiting for a while to get into this particular chapel, and I finally made it that evening.

It was funny, as I was playing, one of the bishops who uses the building came in and, optimistically hoping I was from the other ward that uses the building, inviting me to play for their sacrament meetings. I told him I would love to, but that it was too far away for me to travel every Sunday and that I had commitments in my own ward, but otherwise I would love to!

The organ in this building is a small but nice 1949 Reuter.

Here's a photo of the main facade:

I really like the visual design of this organ. I like the different colors of the wooden pipes and the principals in the center are rather striking. The larger wooden pipes on either side are actually stuck to the wall, either with glue or screws of some sort. I thought that was interesting. 

The console of this organ is also very nice. It has a neat little design on the sides and the rear:

The pedalboard is also a little different. It still feels close to if not exactly like AGO standard and is still concave & radiating, but it looks different in that the natural keys have a cutout near the console end of them. I wish I had taken a picture, but I didn't think to. Silly me!

Speaking of the keys, I love the touch on this organ! You barely have to depress the key at all and you get sound out of the pipes. This makes it much easier to play faster passages on this instrument. The toccata from Bach's BWV 565 was very enjoyable here, though not very loud. This organ is pretty small, and there are no reeds or mixtures. But what there is is in tune and a pleasure to play. This organ would be more suited to hymn playing or to some baroque and earlier pieces, rather than French romantic or most modern classical music. 

One of my favorite stops on this organ is the Dulciana. It's a smaller, lighter Principal that almost resembles a string stop, and it's absolutely beautiful. You don't see them so often on these organs, yet they are so useful, especially with how the organ is used in LDS services, as we do a lot of quiet preludes before and after our meetings, sometimes incorporating a short interlude near the middle of the meeting, just before the administration of the Sacrament.

Personally, I love a good reed chorus, some trumpets, and a nice 16' Posaune in the pedal, they demonstrate the majesty of the organ and are a lot of fun to play. But organs such as this one and the one at the Utah State Hospital, organs that focus on the beautiful soft tone colors, are a nice break. They are beautiful, and allow for a nice, relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of life. I'll take a good Dulciana or an Erzähler any day of the week, it's a nice escape for me, since a lot of the time I play the organ to unwind and de-stress from the many activities I enjoy so much.

Anyway, Here's a wider-angle shot of the pipe facade. Once again, I really like the way those different colors of wood contrast with each other, and with the paneling on the wall (and yes, I know the smaller ones on the top are painted, and so are the swell shades.). 

...And the obligatory selfie:

Have a great day everyone, more to come soon!

And here are your organ details:

LDS Springville 1st & 3rd Ward Building

Built By: Reuter Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 854

Year: 1949

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 5 (Originally, probably added to later)

Location: 55 North Main St. Springville, UT

Springville 1st & 3rd Wards - Stoplist

Orem Organs - And Salt Lake to come soon!

I'll explain the Salt Lake part first:

Yesterday I participated in an Open Console and Organ Crawl event in Salt Lake City at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral and the Historic Tabernacle on Temple Square. I had the opportunity to play both of these wonderful instruments, and enjoy the music and company of some wonderful and talented organists. 

I will write a longer, more detailed post about this shortly, I am waiting to get some pictures back from another AGO member who brought a nicer camera than I did.

In the meantime, I thought I would post pictures and information about a couple more organs in Orem that I played last Summer. 

This first one is one of the larger pipe organs in an LDS chapel, at 17 ranks. It is located in the Sharon Stake Center in Orem, UT, and was built by the Wicks organ company in 1969. It recently underwent renovation and restoration, to ensure its performance for years to come.

Here's a photo of the facade:

As you can see, there are a LOT more pipes than are typical for your typical LDS Chapel Wicks Facade. There are usually only a couple ranks visible, but this has at least three or four open to the room.

One interesting thing about this organ is the types of the 17 ranks. Prior to this, the largest organ I had seen in an LDS chapel was 13 ranks, but it had a Rohr Schalmei, a great 16' Trompette in the pedal division, and 16' Gemshorn in the Great. It was more eclectic in its tonal design than this organ, at least to my inexperienced ear. So you can see that I was pretty excited to see what kinds of interesting stops I would find on this organ. Sadly for me, most of these additional ranks had been used for different types of flute stops. Not that I don't love a good Nachthorn, but I think this organ could have been made more tonally diverse, and therefore more versatile, by replacing one or two of those flute ranks with an interesting solo reed, such as an Oboe or Clarinet, or extending the pedal down to an actual 32' rather than just a resultant*. I still like this organ a lot, but I am admittedly puzzled by the tonal design.

*A resultant is two ranks of pipes that reproduce the overtones of a lower rank. They are used for 32' stops with a 16' and a 13 2/3' rank, or for a 64', a stop called a Gravissima. 

So here's my selfie, with excitetement, before I found out there was no oboe. Console is located behind the pulpit to the right (stage left), as it is in most LDS buildings.

After I finished at the Sharon Stake, I went to another nearby chapel, the LDS Orem Stonewood Stake Center, and was pleasantly surprised by a 9-rank 1994 Wicks organ. Its tonal quality is a lot nicer than those of the older Wicks organs, especially those from the 1970s, but it's no Schantz. I like this organ very much, but I didn't have a lot of time to get to know it, so I only got a couple of blurry pictures, since it was late and I needed to get going.

So here's the selfie of that one:

And here's a wider shot of the chapel. There are 41 pipes in the Facade, which I'm pretty sure is a principal, with the rest behind the gray screens just behind the main facade.

Overall, I would be happy to play either of these instruments every Sunday if I had the chance, but if I had been the one in charge when they were installed and designed, I would have done things just a little differently: I would have chosen a more eclectic tonal design for the Sharon organ, and for the Stonewood organ, I may have chosen a different builder if it had been within the budget.

Have a great Sunday everyone, and I'll be back with more pictures soon!

LDS Sharon Stake Center:

Built By: Wicks Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1969

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 17

Location: 545 South 800 East, Orem, UT

Sharon Stake Center - Stoplist

LDS Orem Utah Stonewood Stake Center:

Built By: Wicks Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated):

Year: 1994

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 9

Location: 450 South 100 West, Orem, UT

Friends, Fugues and Fournitures

Let me just start with a shout out to my awesome readers! You have helped me locate so many new organs to play, got me access to play them, and supplied me with such great and detailed information about these instruments. THANK YOU!!! 

As a small announcement, I will be adding a link to a stoplist for each organ in Utah County I have shown here on the blog. The link will be at the bottom of each post near the specifications and address for each organ. I'm still working on getting some of the information, so stoplists will be going up one by one, but keep an eye out for them.

This week has been a wonderful week for me as an organist. On Saturday, I went to the Utah Valley American Guild or Organists' Pedals, Pipes and Pizza activity on Saturday, and I got to go inside Bigelow's Opus 16! It was a really neat experience to see the inside of an organ up close. I also noticed how meticulously crafted, tuned and maintained Bigelow organs are. I've seen the pipework of several instruments up close, and Bigelow's is so pristine, right down to the tuning scrolls on the pipes Here's a picture of me inside the organ:

Yes, it was a great day, as you can tell by my face. I also made some new friends in the local AGO chapter, which was wonderful! I even met a couple of fans of Pedals and Pipework, which was really cool! 

One of the people I met, Bryce, made me an offer I couldn't refuse, to play the organ at the Alpine Stake Tabernacle in American Fork! We set a time on Monday, and I met him at the Tabernacle to discuss and play this instrument. We were joined by David Chamberlin, who I have mentioned before, a local organ builder and talented organist who is very versed in the history of the Alpine Tabernacle Organ. 

Here's a picture of the organ, and I'll give you the condensed version of the Organ's history:

This organ was completed in 1923 by the Austin Organ Company, after persuasion by John J. McClellan, tabernacle organist (and my relative) to have Austin, one of the foremost organ builders at the time and who had just renovated and expanded the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ, to build this one. Over the years, some changes were made. The current Trompette was originally a Tuba stop, and the organ got a new console in 1976 after being vandalized. When this happened, several stop tabs were added, plans having been made to add these ranks to the organ, but they have not yet been added, and the new console is almost 40 years old. Stops that were simply "prepared for" have a red dot on the stop tab, so as not to confuse the organist. Here's the console:

You'll see from the stop list, this organ is very symphonic. It has both a clarinet and an oboe, a vox humana, some beautiful flutes, and two separate ranks of strings with accompanying celestes. Another interesting thing about this organ, is that some of the ranks extend up to the 2' range, even though there are no functioning 2' stops on the organ. This top octave of pipes is accessed using a 4' coupler, meaning that everything being coupled is played an octave higher than normal. This allows something resembling a full principal chorus to be achieved.

Also, the bar above each divison's stops is a divisional cancel when depressed. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted one of these! Sometimes, I'll have the Pedal set up just right, but I need to start from scratch on the Swell, so I push the general cancel and Whoops! There goes my perfect pedal. This is a feature more organ builders should integrate into their consoles, it makes it so much easier to play. 

This console was also a little confusing at first to me, since there are two rows of stop tabs. With stop jambs and drawknobs, I know the standard location of the divisions, as I do with a single row of stop tabs, but with more than one row, it confused me at first, but it's less confusing after playing for a while. This organ's manuals are also farther apart vertically than they are on other three-manual organs I have played, which, once again, took some getting used to, but is fine after playing for a bit.

This organ's sound is unique. It's not quite like anything else I've ever played. The Tutti is not quieter, but less bright than on most of the organs I have played. I understand this is part of the design, and I like it. This organ is capable for pieces some traditional or more baroque-style pipe organs would not necessarily be capable of. And I love the eclectic nature of symphonic organs, there are so many different tone colors to play with, even on organs with relatively few ranks for a symphonic instrument. 

Here's another view of the organ, from the balcony. Bryce made it in this shot! He's at the console:

This is the last tabernacle we have in Utah County, and we are very blessed to have it. I don't think many people realize what a treasure this instrument is. Though it has had some minor changes over the years, this instrument is pretty close to how it sounded in 1923 when it was first installed. And it's still in amazing condition, with Austin's impeccable build quality manifest in every piece I had contact with. The organ sounds wonderful and brings life to the space. I see why John J. McClellan wanted this organ installed, it's wonderful, and most of all unique.

And here are a couple fun photos; my selfie and a nice shot of me at the console!

Keep your eyes out for more posts soon! I have several pictures from last year I still need to show you, and some new organs to play as well, thanks to you!

Have a great week, everyone!

LDS Alpine Stake Tabernacle:

Built By: Austin Organs, Inc.

Opus Number (if indicated): 1130

Year: 1923

Manuals: 3

Ranks: 20

Location: 100 E Main St. American Fork, UT

Alpine Stake Tabernacle - Stoplist

A Personal Record and a Personal Connection

First of all, Happy New Year everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, I've been pretty busy with finals, and with work over my Christmas break from school. I still have a few older pictures to post, so I'll be finishing with those soon, and I will be trying to play more organs as time permits.

Also, for anyone who is interested, or has kids who are interested in organs, there's an event going on this Saturday morning here in Utah Valley sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, called "Pedals, Pipes, & Pizza." It's a great opportunity for children, adults, and young people to get to know more about how a pipe organ works, and about what organs are all about. More info is available here for those who are interested in attending.

I gave this post the title "A Personal Record and a Personal Connection." The personal record occurred back in July, in that I played three different pipe organs in one day. I'll get to that in a minute.

I was browsing some articles on various organs the LDS Church owns, and I discovered one that mentioned Alexander Schreiner, one of the greatest organists to ever serve at the Salt Lake LDS Tabernacle. It mentioned in passing the name of his teacher, John J. McClellan, who also served as organist at the Tabernacle, and on the LDS Church's original music committee. I knew that I have some ancestors who are McClellans, so I looked at my family history, and, lo and behold, John Jasper McClellan, Jr. is my Great-Great-Great-Swell Uncle! (Just kidding about the Swell, though I'm sure he was a swell guy...) In his time McClellan would have overseen the renovation of the Tabernacle Organ by the Austin Organ Company in 1915 (its second renovation, it has undergone two since then), and of course played it extensively. It's pretty neat to know that I'm related to one of the early organists at the Tabernacle! What a privilege! I guess I know where my love of organ music comes from!

So there's the personal connection. Now on to the personal record.

One evening in early August of last year, I decided to go check some out. I ended up driving all over Orem a couple of times, since the Sharon Stake Center (photos to come soon) was locked, and when I initially went to the Cascade 1st & 2nd Ward Building, someone was actually practicing the organ, so I found another and went back later. The Sharon 1st & 2nd ward building was a surprise, I didn't know if it actually had a pipe organ, but I got in and played it. I ended up driving past it and the Sharon Stake center several times to check and see if they were open, and it all paid off eventually.

And yes, you counted that correctly. Three different pipe organs in the same evening. What a day!

Let's start at the Sunset Heights Stake Center. I knew about this organ since a good friend of mine was baptized at this chapel my senior year of High School. I remember the organ being very striking, as it looked different from most other LDS chapels, and most pipe organs I had seen up to that point.

Here's a photo of the facade:

As you can see, it's a combination of exposed pipework (front center, nothing around the pipes), encased pipework (front right and left, pipes in gothic arches), and enclosed pipework (visible through the open swell shades, rear center). This is one of my favorite LDS organ facades, because it is so unique and eclectic. You really don't see much else like this in an LDS chapel, the organ usually doesn't try to draw so much attention to itself.

Here's the console:

The on switch is under the edge to the right of the manuals, and is somewhat hidden. This organ has three memory positions, and a Full Organ toe piston, which was broken when I visited it. Both the memory and full organ pistons are mechanical. They physically move the rocker tabs, not with a motor. The rocker tabs are also heavier than I expected, leading me to believe that they are at least partially mechanical as well. 

And here's the selfie:

This organ was built by the Reuter company, which is uncommon for LDS chapels, much like the design. I love the tone quality of this organ, I find it to be more smooth and refined than you find in most Wicks organs. The principals and flutes are clear and bright enough, and it has a "Geigen Principal," which is a hybrid string/principal stop, a more principal-like version of a Gemshorn or an Erzahler. Very nice!

On to the next organ, at the Cascade 1st & 2nd Ward Chapel. The LDS seminary I attended in high school used to have morningside meetings, where a guest speaker would come teach about the Gospel, in this building from time to time. I don't remember ever attending one, but I wish I had, just look at that organ! 

This organ is one I would love to have in my chapel, because I love the facade, and I love the tonal diversity of it, as compared to other LDS chapel organs built around the same time (1970s). This one has several unique stops, which I will explain shortly. Above you get a good view of the powerful16' Trompette pipes, positioned vertically along either side. These play with a powerful force that shakes the console! They are very fun to play!

Here's a wider view:

And the selfie...

Here's the console, drawknobs and all! This organ has 13 ranks of pipes, which is one of the larger organs I have seen in an LDS building, so I guess there wasn't enough room for stop tabs. Drawknobs, such as these, in addition to being great fun to play (you actually get to 'pull out all the stops!'), allow the organ builder to position more stops within easy reach on the console.

Here are a couple of the unique ones. In addition to having an extremely high (an somewhat piercing) 1' principal stop, this organ has a 4' Schalmei in the Pedal division (top center of the photo below) and an 8' Rohr Schalmei in the Swell. I like the sound of these, they are soft solo reeds, much like an oboe, but I didn't know what a Schalmei was. According to the internet, a Schalmei is an ancient instrument considered to be the predecessor to the oboe, much like the krummhorn is considered predecessor to the clarinet.

This building is nice as well, so here's a wider view of the chapel:

Starting with the selfie this time, for the Sharon 1st & 2nd Wards. This was a nice surprise, as I wasn't aware of this organ until I played it. The building was available when I happened to stop by, and I discovered this neat little instrument.

The way they positioned the pipes here, and the high ceiling of the chapel makes for a nice acoustic space, as well as a grand appearance:

Here's the view from the console:

And here's a view of the console. This organ didn't seem too special compared to other Wicks instruments at first, but then I remembered that it is only the second one I have seen with a 32' resultant stop. Looking around, I couldn't see where they could possibly have put 32' pipes, and it turns out I needn't have wondered. This stop is a Resultant, which uses a 16' rank and a 10 2/3' rank to produce the same harmonics as a 32' rank does. Playing a piece at full organ, it honestly doesn't make a ton of a difference, but, now that I know how to use it, I imagine it can be fun to engage on a final chord, to a nice effect.

Also, this is the first time I ever saw an old MIDI sequencer on a pipe organ. This is probably the oldest one I have ever seen, and I have since seen the same unit on two other organs. It allows for organists to create their own profile, which is just a memory level with their name on it, and lets one save his or her memory settings to a floppy disk, or a USB flash drive on newer models.

Was that post long enough for you? I'll be posting more pictures soon, I still have a couple more sets of "organ-hunting" pictures from last summer I haven't had time to upload. I'll continue to upload new pictures as I take them. I'm also working on uploading some recordings as well, so you can hear the stops I talk about enjoying so much!

Organ Specifications:

Orem Sunset Heights Stake(LDS):

Built By: Reuter Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 1812

Year: 1972

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 11

Location: 1260 S 400 W Orem, UT

Sunset Heights Stake - Stoplist

Cascade 1st & 2nd Wards(LDS):

Built By: Wicks Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 

Year: 1973

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 13

Location: 481 E Center St. Orem, UT

LDS Sharon 1st & 2nd Wards:

Built By: Wicks Organ Company

Opus Number (if indicated): 

Year: 1974

Manuals: 2

Ranks: 8

Location: 641 S 400 E Orem, UT